The Court System of England and Wales

Text 1: “The Court System of England and Wales. Criminal Courts”

Task 1: read and translate the text

The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system — England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland the third.

The Courts of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts. They are responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales. They are constituted and governed by the Law of England and Wales and are subordinate to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Criminal Courts

The lowest criminal courts in the UK are the Magistrates Courts.

The Magistrates’ courts are a key part of the criminal justice system – all criminal cases start in a Magistrates’ court.

In addition, Magistrates’ courts deal with many civil cases, mostly family matters. Cases in the Magistrates’ courts are usually heard by panels of three magistrates (Justices of the Peace).

The Magistrates also act as licencing authorities for restaurants and other public places.

The Youth (Juvenile) Court is a specialised form of Magistrates' court. The Youth Court deals with offenders under seventeen.

As in the Magistrates’ court, the case will be heard by magistrates.

The Youth Court is not open to the general public.

The Crown Court hears more serious criminal cases such as: murder, rape, robbery. A trial at a Crown court is before a judge and jury. The judge presides over the trial process and also decides on legal issues like whether evidence is admissible. The jury decides the facts, considers whose story is more believable and applies the law to the facts. The jury reaches the verdict on the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
Criminal division of the Court of Appeal deals with appeals in criminal cases from Crown court and civil cases from the High Court, Tribunals, and in certain cases, County courts. It also hears appeals against decisions made in the Magistrates’ courts.

Other Courts

The Coroner’s court is the only English court in which the inquisitorial process is used.

The Coroners’ courts investigate cases of violent, sudden or unnatural deaths.